


family bonding

by stolashoots



Series: unfinished/abandoned [4]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Family Feels, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29742012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stolashoots/pseuds/stolashoots
Summary: backpostedkaito and haruto drabblesall unfinished
Series: unfinished/abandoned [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2187105





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> written in 2016, published in 2021

Kaito knew that there would be consequences to his actions, whether by the police or by another number’s hunter. The more powerful you become, the more people who stand in your way. At the time, all he could hope was that he succeeded in his mission, that Haruto will be cured, before Kaito finally comes across someone strong enough to take him down.

It happened as he expected it. Tron was too much for him, and Kaito fell just like all kings do, with a terrible revolution and death. Only, that end wasn’t the true end, and he was given a second chance at life.

Kaito swore that this time he’ll do things right. No more avoiding his neglectful father. No more hurting others so they too can feel his pain. No more hiding from Haruto.

He was young when his mother died and Haruto fell ill, too young to fully comprehend what was going on. He had tried to stay strong, strong for Father, strong for Haruto, but day after day after day of watching his brother’s condition grow worse and Faker bury himself in his work to drown out the pain, even the strongest of children will crack.

(And crack he did.)

(After all, no good egg would jump at the chance to become a murderer, now would they?)

But now, the past is in the past, and Kaito is left with the shattered remanence of what was once his family. He could run now, turn and flee to far away from where he’ll no longer have to see Faker’s dull, worn out eyes or hear Haruto’s ragged cough in the middle of the night. He could abandon those who turned him into a bitter man and try to find happiness in a new life.

Kaito knew that running was not an option. He’s seen firsthand that you can never truly shake your past of your trail. Christopher had tried doing that and his family came for him with a vengeance. Even if Kaito was able to get away, he would never be able to bring himself to forget his little brother. He doubts he’d be able to stay away from Haruto without checking to make sure he’s still alive and cheerful.

He will stay here in Heartland, here with his family, and try to pick up the broken pieces of his life. It will be a difficult process and he will bleed from his wounds while handling the sharp edges, but there is something left in him that neither Tron nor Faker were able to steal for Kaito.

Hope. Somehow, in some way, Kaito still holds onto a strand of hope. After everything that has happened to him, he refuses to let it go. There was a time when he had lost hope and only continued moving because it was too painful to stand still. He was little more than a husk of a man then, destined for nothing but death and suffering. But then he met Yuma and Astral, Ryouga, Christopher… Dueling them brought back the humanity in Kaito. Dueling them reminding him of why he was still fighting in this confusing and dangerous world.

Kaito is alive again for the first time in months.

The world is open to him with an infinite amount of possibilities. Kaito will fix his family.


	2. Chapter 2

“You can’t fix other people, big brother,” Haruto says, not looking up from his writing book. It’s been months since the last time he went to school, and Haruto insisted a few days ago that he begins practicing his letters again. Kaito doesn’t have the heart to remind Haruto that he’s still bedridden and that it’s too late for him to join this year’s classes.

“What do you mean by that?” Kaito tries to keep the bite out of his tone, but from Haruto’s unimpressed glance, he can safely assume it was still present.

Haruto sets down the mechanical pencil Kaito let him barrow and lies back against his pillows. He thinks for a moment, then speaks. “Well, what would you think if Thomas came up to you and said he was going to fix you?”

“I would be angry.” Kaito wrinkles his nose at the mention of Chris’ obnoxious little brother.

“Why?”

Kaito shrugs, not understanding the point of this. “Thomas doesn’t know me. And I’m not broken, so there’s no point in trying to fix me. Even suggesting that shows that he knows nothing about me.”

Haruto turns and looks out his window. From where he’s sitting, he has a perfect view of the amusement park that surrounds the tower. Haruto isn’t looking at the rides or the tiny people, however, he’s staring at the Barian crystals that have grown out of the earth like alien flower buds.

“Big brother… Kaito. I know why you’ve been acting so strange lately. I think Father has noticed it too, but he doesn’t want to say something and risk angering you.” Haruto stops and makes a face. Kaito opens his mouth to speak, but Haruto keeps going before he can say anything. “You can’t fix our family. We aren’t broken, we’ve just drifted apart. You trying to fix us just proves that you don’t know what our family is like.”

His words are a slap in the face. Kaito now sees Haruto’s clenched fists and his front teeth gnawing on his lip. He hadn’t realized that what he was doing was hurting Haruto.

“Haruto,” Kaito tries gently, “I’m just trying to make us happy again.”

Haruto is already shaking his head. “You don’t get it. Our family has problems, yes, but that’s because we’ve spent so long ignoring them, and you aren’t helping. Pretending we’re a perfect, happy family doesn’t mean we’ll become one! You’re just-“

Haruto breaks out into a coughing fit. Kaito jumps to his feet, but he’s helpless to stop it. All he can do is glance anxiously between his little brother and the heartrate monitor as Haruto’s face grows red from the strain. Finally, after long, tense moments, Haruto is able to get his breath back. He slumps back against the pillows, all of the fight in him drained.

Kaito feels sick. He hadn’t meant this to happen. He’d do anything to make Haruto smile, and because of that, he ended up hurting the one he was trying to protect.

Kaito reaches out and smooths down Haruto’s hair. “Rest now. We can talk more later.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this last drabble is unfinished

If Haruto had to pinpoint one thing that was typical about Kaito, it would be that he always slept in late. Even when he was a numbers hunter and during the mess with the Barians, no one ever saw Kaito until at least noon. Often times he slouched out of his room, his hair a mess and clearly still half asleep.

Because of this, Haruto is more than a tad bit suspicious when Kaito carries a tray of food into Haruto’s room at eight a.m. sharp. Haruto rubs his eyes to check in case he saw wrong, but no, it certainly is Kaito. He’s in his day clothes, his hair poofy from being blown dry, and his eyes shine bright. Haruto sets down the book he was reading and accepts the breakfast. It’s just a bowl of cereal with a cup of milk, but it makes him feel warm inside nonetheless. Kaito went out of his way to make him this.

Haruto, delighted to dig in, begins scooping up corn flakes into his mouth. “Is it my birthday?”

Kaito shakes his head. “No. I just thought that we could go out. Have some fun, you know?” He sits on the side of the bed and reads the title of Haruto’s book.

“We’re going… out?” Haruto stops eating. It’s been forever since he left his room, not counting the few times he snuck out.


End file.
